Merge pull request #40 from maths/MeetingReports/parsonsDemo

Meeting report for Parsons v2.0 demo

mkdocs.yml

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ nav:
     - About: 'About.md'
     - Get Started: 'GetStarted.md'
     - Community:
-        - 'Developmet team and Advisory Board': 'Community.md'
+        - 'Development team and Advisory Board': 'Community.md'
         - 'African STACK Community Leadership Team': 'Communities/African_leadership.md'
         - 'STACK Professionals Network': 'Communities/Professional_network.md'
     - Training and Events: 

website_files/MeetingReports/2024-05-13-ParsonsV2Demo.md

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# STACK v4.6.0 matching feature demo and feedback session
+
+A feature allowing authors to write drag-and-drop matching problems was developed for release in STACK v4.6.0.
+A preview and feedback session was held on Monday, 13th May 2024 with members of the STACK Professionals Network 
+to establish any desired changes or additions to the current state of development prior to release.
+
+Present at the meeting: Sal Mercuri, Matti Harjula, Luke Longworth, Sam Fearn, Andreas Steiger, Stephen Nulty, 
+Juma Zevick, Wigand Rathmann, Edmund Farrow, Danilo Lewanski.
+
+## Background
+A drag-and-drop proof assessment feature based on Parson's problems was released in STACK v4.5.0 in Dec. 2023 
+through a `parsons` block.
+In these questions, students are presented with two lists: an available list populated with pre-written strings
+corresponding to steps in the proof; an empty answer list they must drag proof steps to in the correct order.
+The priority for STACK v4.6.0 is to extend this drag-and-drop functionality beyond proof into more general 
+"grouping" (dragging items into the correct category) and "matching" (dragging multiple corresponding items 
+to the same row) questions.
+
+## Demo summary
+- Introduction and background.
+- Grouping question demo.
+    - A question where a student is asked to drag functions into the groups "Continuous" and "Discontinuous" as appropriate.
+    - Student interface was presented.
+    - Author workflow was presented focusing on defining variables and setting up the question text. Assessment through the use of the to-be-released `matchlib.mac` STACK library was also covered.
+- Matching question demo.
+    - A question where a student is asked to drag functions and their first- and second-order derivatives into rows as appropriate.
+    - Student interface was presented.
+    - Author workflow was presented as in the grouping question demo.
+- Feedback on items so far.
+- (Time permitting) Adding index columns to matching questions and using images.
+
+## Feedback and other items discussed
+- A question on style was raised, particularly in the scenario where a large number of groups/columns are being used. Action item: test larger volumes of columns/rows and make documentation recommendations where necessary.
+- A suggestion of helper functions which could map Maxima variables into TeX within displayed items, to avoid the burden of having to `\\(...\\)` numerous times. It was raised that this would require further development on how CASText is handled by STACK.
+- Question raised about whether interactive images could be used, for example JSXGraph. A longer-term possibility for more general item styles which may also include inputs within items.
+- A question on PRTs and whether more bespoke forms of evaluation are possible, for example, can we check whether a student has used a specific item somewhere in their grid?
+- Discussion around when is it more appropriate to use drag-and-drop style questions vs. drop-down vs. other styles of questions. It could be a useful research study to understand the impact of using drag-and-drop style questions vs. drop-down, and make guidelines and recommendations based on these. A link to [A Collaboratively-Derived Research Agenda for E-assessment in Undergraduate Mathematics](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40753-022-00189-6) was shared in relation to this.
+- Request to see the original Parson's proof question style for comparison and it was clarified how proof vs. grouping vs. matching styles are defined.

website_files/MeetingReports/index.md

@@ -7,4 +7,8 @@
 * [2023-09-21: Professionals network regular meeting](2023-09-21-NetworkReport.md) 
 * [2023-07-21: Professionals network regular meeting](2023-07-21-NetworkReport.md) 
 * [2023-06-09: Professionals network regular meeting](2023-06-09-NetworkReport.md) 
-* [2022-12-09: Inaugural meeting](2022-12-09-NetworkReport.md) 
+* [2022-12-09: Inaugural meeting](2022-12-09-NetworkReport.md) 
+
+## Feedback sessions
+
+* [2024-05-13: STACK v4.6.0 matching feature demo and feedback session](2024-05-13-ParsonsV2Demo.md)